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Michael enters District 44 race
With more than 20 years of public service experience at the city and county levels, former Greencastle mayor Nancy Michael wants to take that expertise to state government.
She announced Monday that she will enter the May 6 Indiana primary as a Democrat candidate for state representative in District 44.
"Local government is my strength and my passion," Michael said in making the announcement that she wants to continue in politics after having completed her tenure as mayor of Greencastle on Dec. 31.
Michael points to property taxes, unfunded mandates and the economic development of District 44 as her main issues in the legislative race.
"I feel District 44 is uniquely positioned for economic development as we move forward in the 21st century. Any economic development successes for communities like Brazil or Cloverdale or Greencastle are really pluses for the entire district," Michael said, using as an example the large number of Clay County residents who commute to work in Greencastle.
Michael scheduled public announcements Monday in her native Roachdale, Cloverdale Town Hall, Brazil City Hall in Clay County, the Bellmore Volunteer Fire Department in Parke County and Nevins Township Volunteer Fire Department in Vigo County, as well as her most familiar stomping grounds, Greencastle's City Hall.
Michael will make the following stops Monday:
* Cloverdale Town Hall, 10 a.m.
* Brazil, City Hall 11:30 a.m.
* Nevins Twp. Volunteer Fire Dept. (Vigo County), 1:30 p.m.
* Bellmore Volunteer Fire Dept. (Parke County), 3 p.m.
* Roachdale Public Library, 4:30 p.m.
* Greencastle City Hall, 6 p.m.
Michael, just the second woman ever elected mayor of Greencastle, was the longest-serving chief executive in the history of the city. She was elected to three terms as mayor, serving 12 years.
She considers herself an "experienced administrator with a thorough knowledge of management, public policy and public relations."
"Working for the public sector for the past 21 years, I have gained an extensive background in management, communications, public and international relations and team building," Michael said.
Michael is one of only a handful of Putnam County people ever to have won election at both the city and county levels. She was elected to two Putnam County positions, serving one term as county clerk (1987-90) and two terms representing Greencastle Township on the Putnam County Council (1987-95). Her second term was cut short after just one year when she was elected mayor of Greencastle for the first time and took office Jan. 1, 1996.
As mayor, she supervised the day-to-day operations of municipal government that encompasses 10 departments with a budget of $13 million serving a city of 10,000 people. Not only did she represent those residents at city and county gatherings, but numerous times before state committees and commissions and on international trade missions to Japan.
Among her proudest accomplishments as Greencastle mayor, Michael says, are helping secure an $8 million state budget approval commitment for Ivy Tech Community College's new Greencastle campus, implementation of the state's first rural, high-speed Internet system within Greencastle and construction of a new wastewater treatment facility that has kept the city off a sewer ban.
In addition to several Greencastle and Putnam County board and committee memberships, she has served on the Legislative and Executive committees of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns, West Central Solid Waste District Board of Directors and Putnamville Correctional Facility Community Advisory Board.
Former Hoosier Gov. Joseph Kernan awarded Michael the Sagamore of the Wabash honor, the highest honor the governor of Indiana can bestow upon an individual.
A 1978 North Putnam High School graduate, Michael holds a bachelor's degree in business management and administration (with a minor in transportation) from Indiana University. She also has had previous experience as a payroll and purchasing clerk in the State Auditor's Office (1983-86), as well as a private sector jobs in insurance.
Michael is a member of Greencastle Christian Church and the Greencastle Rotary Club. She and her husband Steve have two children, Peter and Mary.
District 44 encompasses all of Putnam County, five townships in Clay County (including the city of Brazil), four townships in Parke County and Nevins Township in Vigo County.